NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Having Heart In A Sometimes Heartless World Day 61 - Passion and the Painful Pursuit of Perfection Scripture focus: Don't do as the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers. Don't even think about it; don't go that way. Turn away and keep moving. For evil people can't sleep until they've done their evil deed for the day. They can't rest until they've caused someone to stumble. They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence! The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. Proverbs 4:14-19 NLT All of us long to become something more than we are. We are driven to achieve, moved to accomplish, fueled by ambition. We're all searching for our unique purpose, our divine destiny, or simply a sense of significance or some measure of success. We may disagree violently about what success is; we may even change our own minds about what makes our lives actually significant. But all of us are united in our desperate attempt to make a future for ourselves. We all desperately want to achieve something, to accomplish something; we just don't know what. Worse than that, we don't even understand why. Yet that doesn't stop us from searching." Soul Cravings, Destiny, entry 1, by Erwin McManus In the next few weeks, we're going to give some serious consideration to passion. What is it? When is it a blessing? When is it a curse? What part does passion play in the heart renovation process? As preparation, give some consideration to the following: Describe your passions. How would you describe the most "significant" part of you? Your greatest success? Name your greatest ambitions. Define your divine destiny to the best of your ability. Are you comfortable with your desires, longings, and big dreams? Is there anything that concerns you about your cravings? Have you experienced any problems as a result of pursuing your passions? Would you consider it a compliment or a condemnation to be described as "passionate"? Has anyone ever called you obsessed? How do you reconcile your strong passions with your spirituality - are they natural fits, or do you struggle with internal battles because your "lusts" and "love for God" appear to be at odds? Recommended reading: Leviticus 25 in the morning; Psalm 44 in the evening Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 TNIV Click "Comments" Below to Join the Discussion Scroll down to the Archive Section to View Previous Devotionals.